pas de trois

[pahd^uh trwah]

noun

Ballet.

plural

pas de trois 

1. a dance for three dancers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pas de trois¹

1755–65; < French: literally, step for three

Example Sentences

In “Agon,” the masterful 1957 collaboration between Balanchine and Stravinsky, a performance of the first pas de trois — with India Bradley, Taylor Stanley and Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara — was mesmerizing in its tautness.

From New York Times

The cast of three dancers — Black, queer, and trans, at center-stage, perform a male pas de deux and then a pas de trois.

From New York Times

Rewinding the clock, the researchers modeled the pas de trois over 3 billion years—and found that both the LMC and Sagittarius swooped close to the Milky Way, as recently as 50 million years ago.

From Science Magazine

The first half was standard gala fare — duets from “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker,” the “Le Corsaire” pas de trois — and the performances were committed, careful, entirely respectable.

From New York Times

No less fine was the sparkling Indiana Woodward in its pas de trois, making tiny moments exceptionally radiant.

From New York Times